Birstall, England – British politician Jo Cox died after being shot, kicked and stabbed Thursday. The tragedy took place near a library where she had a meeting with local constituents.
Cox was killed in Birstall, West Yorkshire. After she had fallen on the pavement, she was kicked and stabbed, according to one of the witness. Paramedics transported her on a helicopter to a local hospital. She died an hour after the attack, at 2 pm, local time.
Police arrested Tommy Mair, a 52-year-old man who is believed to be the author of the crime. Mair is described by neighbors as a quiet person and devoted to his mother.
Authorities believe this was a lone incident, and they are not looking for a partner connected to the attack.
Clark Rothwell is the owner of a cafe near the crime scene. He declared to the Press Association that the suspect shouted “put Britain first” before and after he shot her. Britain First is a far-right anti-immigration group that had staged anti-Muslim demonstrations. Britain First stated on their website not to be involved in the attack and made clear that they would never encourage this type of behavior.
Rothwell says he did it two or three times, and he described the gun as “old-fashioned-looking.” He said he heard three shots. According to him, the man was wearing a jacket and a white baseball hat.
The BBC published a photo that shows the moment British police arrested the suspect, who was wearing a gray T-shirt and black pants.
Another witness, Hichem Ben Abdallah, runs a local restaurant and said that he saw someone on the ground between two cars. He mentioned that Cox had blood on her leg and face. He did not recognize her at the moment, but Abdallah knew who she was. He also said that the suspect kicked her body after she fell on the floor.
Hichem Abdallah saw a bystander that started to fight with the shooter who suddenly pulled a strange gun from his bag. Abdallah described the weapon as “the end of a walking stick.” A third witness claims to have seen the assailant waiting for Cox outside the library.
Cox was an outspoken of the Syrian civil war and was fighting to increase Britain’s military involvement against the Islamic State.
Jo Cox was a recognized politician of the UK. She was elected as MP for Batley and Spen in 2015. She was also a senior adviser to the anti-slavery charity Freedom Fund and head of Labour Women’s Network in Westminster.
From Syria Solidarity UK, Kellie Strom said she made British to understand the issues of war and provided an alternative to the UK’s policy regarding Syria.
Jo Cox was 41 years old, had to young children and was married to Brendan Cox, an adviser on international development in the Labour-led government.
After the news of her death, campaigns for “Brexit” were suspended. In the Brexit referendum will be decided whether Britain should remain a member of the European Union.
Source: USA Today